Lydney canal and Harbour Master's House.

Rex wrote: "... 'Popper' Thorne fishing at Lydney Canal. In the background is the "White Bridge" and the harbour master's house, now demolished".

Peter Essex added: "... Can anyone clarify the names of the occupants of the houses at the docks over the course of time?. I am uncertain whether this is the house occupied wholly or partly by Art and Rose Sterrey my great uncle and aunt or whether they lived in one of the properties closer to the Severn - as I suspect. I know that Art and his son Bert worked at the docks for decades and Art lived there whilst Bert lived at Tutnalls. I only ever visited them as a small child. I dont think Art was ever harbourmaster. I do think their house was smaller than the one in this picture".

Lesley Parker added: "... re people who lived along the canal . . . in the 1950s and possibly before and early 1960s one of the houses alongside the canal was occupied by a Mr Gardner. I think he may have been harbourmaster at one time or at least held some sort of related position. His house was quite low and definitely not the one in the photo. Mr Gardner moored his boat I think an ex-lifeboat opposite his house and a pair of swans would breed each year in the rushes nearby. His granddaughter was Susan Wright who was at LGS in the 1960s. Her parents ... lived in a big house nearly opposite the Town Station. I think Mr Wright may have had a builder's yard. In the mid 1960s Mr Gardner's house became vacant and was then occupied by newlyweds Graham and Jean Thomas".

Vicky Harper added (July 2011): "... Re the Harbour Master's House, Lydney. My Great Grandfather Samuel Kingscote Lewis retired from his job as a Bristol Channel Pilot in 1889 but became Harbour Master at Lydney in 1885 . He died in 1915".

Sally Holdstock added (October 2013): "... I think the house in question was called Harbour House and my mum told me her father Sydney Seear lived there with his wife Gladys and two daughters in the 1930's. he was Harbour Master at the time and my mum says she was very happy living there and was very sorry to leave".

Michelle Fletcher added (March 2015): "... Keith Fletchet ('Fletch') used to live in the Harbour Housewith his parents Ken and Cisse Fletcher from around 1950's until 1971. It wasn't occuppied after they left. ... His father used to work in the signal box (now demolished) at Lydney station".

Alan Lowe added (January 2016): "... Lem Gardener was in fact harbour master at some time and I remember his boat moored opposite his house. He had a fish pond with the biggest goldfish I had ever seen at the time and a parrot in his house. I have fond memories of visiting Len with my mother, father and younger sister, she being around 3 or 4 at the time so I must have been around 7-9 years old. A few times he would take us down the canal on his boat and I remember steering it, I still have a picture here somewhere I will try and find it and send you for your records. My mum abd dad spent their honeymoon at Lem's house but will have to look for the date. Sadly both parents have now passed away and my mother was a font of knowledge, I just wish I had taken more in than I did but still have memories. While doing my apprenticeship as cabinet maker a group of went on an arranged tour/visit of the plywood factory at the harbour endof the lane, I remember my mum saying how Gaboon would come in on barges and this we seen many years later on our tour turned down making veneer. Hope this helps",

Catherine Vaughan added (March 2016): "... Cissie and Ken Fletcher were my aunt and uncle. They did live in the big house and were the last to live there. We lived further down to the pier in a cottage I can remember a man living in another cottage his name was Mr Crestey. We were the last family to live in the cottage".

Jon Mills added (January 2017): "... Lem Gardner lived in the house on the left hand side of the road beyond the new units, this section of road was controlled by lights".

Gill Dyer added (November 2017): "... Lemuel Gardiner was my grandfather, he was in fact the Lock keeper not the harbour master and my great grandfather Alick Gardiner once owned the boatyard which is now the yacht club".

Alan Lowe added (February 2018): "... To Gill Dyer, Thanks Gill for the info, I was always told when I was a kid Lem was the habour master but what you said does fit. My parents stayed with Lem when they got married so you can possably tell me much more and fill in the dots sort of thing. I have a picture somewhere safe and as soon as I find it I will upload here..."

Dave Walker fishing on the Lydney canal.

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